Cowlinge War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 6 March 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Cowlinge War Memorial, which is situated at the junction of Queen Street with Tillbrooks Hill, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Cowlinge as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

It was built by F H Goddard, who erected several other war memorials in nearby parishes. The memorial was unveiled on 6 March 1921 by Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Briggs and dedicated by the rector, Reverend G O C Ramsay. It commemorates the 30 local servicemen who died in the First World War as well as the 66 local men who served and returned.

The memorial was originally situated at the roadside; however, the area around the memorial was redeveloped later in the C20 to form the access road to the Tillbrooks Hill estate.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921.

DESCRIPTION: Cowlinge War Memorial stands in the centre of the road at the junction of Queen Street with Tillbrooks Hill and is enclosed by metal railings.

It is of rough-hewn grey granite and takes the form of a wheel-head cross; a raised boss is situated on each cross arm and at the centre of the cross-head to the east face. The cross has a tall, four-sided shaft, which rises from a tapering square plinth. This surmounts a two-stepped, square base which consists of a rough-hewn upper step and a dressed stone lower step.

The principal inscription is in leaded lettering to a smooth, inset panel on the east face of the plinth and reads THIS MONUMENT/ WAS ERECTED BY THE/ PARISHIONERS OF COWLINGE/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914–1919/ AND ALSO IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION/ OF THE PATRIOTISM OF THE 66 LOCAL MEN/ WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY/ IN HER HOUR OF NEED.

The names of the 30 men who died are recorded on smooth, inset panels to the north and south faces of the plinth, also in leaded lettering.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 9 January 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5120
War Memorials Online, accessed 9 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/166571/
Cowlinge Photo Gallery, accessed 9 January 2018 from http://www.cowlinge.suffolk.gov.uk/village%20gallery.html
Roll of Honour, accessed 16 January 2018 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Suffolk/Cowlinge.html

Other
‘Cowlinge. The War Memorial’, The Suffolk and Essex Free Press, (9 March 1921), pp2

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